sidneysheldon.astrangerinthemirror-第43部分

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　Clifton　Lawrence　was　in　the　audience　that　night。　He　was　seated　at　a　table　in　the　back　of　the　room　near　the　kitchen　with　the　other　unimportant　people。　He　had　been　forced　to　impose　on　old　friendships　to　get　even　this　table。　
　Ever　since　Toby　Temple　had　fired　him；　Clifton　Lawrence　had　worn　the　label　of　a　loser。　He　had　tried　to　make　a　partnership　deal　with　a　large　agency。　With　no　clients；　however；　he　had　nothing　to　offer。　Then　Clifton　had　tried　the　smaller　agencies；　but　they　were　not　interested　in　a　middle…aged　has…been；　they　wanted　aggressive　young　men。　In　the　end；　Clifton　had　settled　for　a　salaried　job　with　a　small　new　agency。　His　weekly　salary　was　less　than　what　he　had　once　spent　for　one　evening　at　Romanoff's。　He　remembered　his　first　day　at　the　new　agency。　It　was　owned　by　three　aggressive　young　men　　no；　kids　　all　of　them　in　their　late　twenties。　Their　clients　were　rock　stars。　Two　of　the　agents　were　bearded；　and　they　all　wore　jeans　and　sport　shirts　and　tennis　shoes　without　socks。　They　made　Clifton　feel　a　thousand　years　old。　They　spoke　in　a　language　he　did　not　understand。　They　called　him　〃Dad〃　and　〃Pop〃　and　he　thought　of　the　respect　he　had　once　manded　in　this　town；　and　he　wanted　to　weep。　The　once　dapper；　cheerful　agent　had　bee　seedylooking　and　bitter。　Toby　Temple　had　been　his　whole　life；　and　Clifton　talked　about　those　days　pulsively。　It　was　all　he　thought　about。　That　and　Jill。　Clifton　blamed　her　for　everything　that　had　happened　to　him。　Toby　could　not　help　himself；　he　had　been　influenced　by　that　bitch。　But；　oh；　how　Clifton　hated　Jill。　He　was　sitting　in　the　back　of　the　room　watching　the　crowd　applaud　Jill　Temple　when　one　of　the　men　at　the　table　said；　
　〃Toby's　sure　a　lucky　bastard。　I　wish　I　had　a　piece　of　that。　She's　great　in　bed。〃　
　〃Yeah？〃　someone　asked；　cynically。　〃How　would　you　know？〃　
　〃She's　in　that　porno　flick　at　the　Pussycat　Theatre。　Hell；　I　thought　she　was　going　to　suck　the　guy's　liver　out　of　him。〃　
　Clifton's　mouth　was　suddenly　so　dry　that　he　could　hardly　get　out　the　words。　
　〃Are　you　　are　you　sure　it　was　JilI　Castle？〃　be　asked。　
　The　stranger　turned　to　him。　〃Sure；　I'm　sure。　She　used　another　name　　Josephine　something。　A　crazy　Polack　name。〃　He　stared　at　Clifton　and　said；　〃Hey！　Didn't　you　used　to　be　Clifton　Lawrence？〃　
　
　There　is　an　area　of　Santa　Monica　Boulevard；　bordering　between　Fairfax　and　La　Cienega；　that　is　County　territory。　Part　of　an　island　surrounded　by　the　City　of　Los　Angeles；　it　operates　under　County　ordinances；　which　are　more　lenient　than　those　of　the　City。　In　one　six…block　area；　there　are　four　movie　houses　that　run　only　hard…core　pornography；　half　a　dozen　bookshops　where　customers　can　stand　in　private　booths　and　watch　movies　through　individual　viewers　and　a　dozen　massage　parlors　staffed　with　nubile　young　girls　who　are　experts；　at　giving　everything　except　massages。　The　Pussycat　Theatre　sits　in　the　midst　of　it　all。　There　were　perhaps　two　dozen　people　in　the　darkened　theater；　all　of　them　men　except　for　two　women　who　sat　holding　hands。　Clifton　looked　around　at　the　audience　and　wondered　what　drove　these　people　to　darkened　caverns　in　the　middle　of　a　sunny　day；　to　spend　hours　watching　images　of　other　people　fornicating　on　film。　The　main　feature　came　on；　and　Clifton　forgot　everything　except　what　was　up　on　the　screen。　He　leaned　forward　in　his　seat；　concentrating　on　the　face　of　each　actress。　The　plot　was　about　a　young　college　professor　who　smuggled　his　female　students　into　his　bedroom　for　night　classes。　All　of　them　were　young；　surprisingly　attractive　and　incredibly　endowed。　They　went　through　a　variety　of　sexual　exercises；　oral；　vaginal　and　anal；　until　the　professor　was　as　satisfied　as　his　pupils。　But　none　of　the　girls　was　Jill。　She　has　to　be　there；　Clifton　thought。　This　was　the　only　chance　he　would　ever　have　to　avenge　himself　for　what　she　had　done　to　him。　He　would　arrange　for　Toby　to　see　the　film。　It　would　hurt　Toby；　but　he　would　get　over　it。　Jill　would　be　destroyed。　When　Toby　learned　what　kind　of　whore　he　had　married；　he　would　throw　her　out　on　her　ass。　Jill　had　to　be　in　this　film。　
　And　suddenly；　there　she　wason　the　wide　screen；　in　wonderful；　glorious；　living　color。　She　had　changed　a　great　deal。　She　was　thinner　now；　more　beautiful　and　more　sophisticated。　But　it　was　Jill。　Clifton　sat　there；　drinking　in　the　scene；　reveling　in　it；　rejoicing　and　feasting　his　senses；　filled　with　an　electrifying　sense　of　triumph　and　vengeance。　Clifton　remained　in　his　seat　until　the　credits　came　on。　There　it　was；　Josephine　Czinski。　He　got　to　his　feet　and　made　his　way　back　to　the　projection　booth。　A　man　in　shirt　sleeves　was　inside　the　small　room；　reading　a　racing　form。　He　glanced　up　as　Clifton　entered　and　said；　
　〃No　one's　allowed　in　here；　buddy。〃　
　〃I　want　to　buy　a　print　of　that　picture。〃　
　The　man　shook　his　head。　〃Not　for　sale。〃　He　went　back　to　his　handicapping。　
　〃I'll　give　you　a　hundred　bucks　to　run　off　a　dupe。　No　one　will　ever　know。〃　
　The　man　did　not　even　look　up。　
　〃Two　hundred　bucks；〃　Clifton　said。　
　The　projectionist　turned　a　page。　〃Three　hundred。〃　He　looked　up　and　studied　Clifton。　〃Cash？〃　
　〃Cash。〃　
　
　At　ten　o'clock　the　following　morning；　Clifton　arrived　at　Toby　Temple's　house　with　a　can　of　film　under　his　arm。　No；　not　film；　he　thought　happily。　Dynamite。　Enough　to　blow　Jill　Castle　to　hell。　The　door　was　opened　by　an　English　butler　Clifton　had　not　seen　before。　
　〃Tell　Mr。　Temple　that　Clifton　Lawrence　is　here　to　see　him。〃　
　〃I'm　sorry；　sir。　Mr。　Temple　is　not　here。〃　
　〃I'll　wait；〃　Clifton　said　firmly。　
　The　butler　replied；　〃I'm　afraid　that　won't　be　possible。　Mr。　and　Mrs。　Temple　left　for　Europe　this　morning。〃　
　
　
　Europe　was　a　succession　of　triumphs。　The　night　of　Toby's　opening　at　the　Palladium　in　London；　Oxford　Circus　was　jammed　with　crowds　frantically　trying　to　get　a　glimpse　of　Toby　and　Jill。　The　entire　area　around　Argyll　Street　had　been　cordoned　off　by　the　metropolitan　police。　When　the　mob　got　out　of　hand；　mounted　police　were　hastily　summoned　to　assist。　Precisely　at　the　stroke　of　eight　o'clock；　the　Royal　Family　arrived　and　the　show　began。　Toby　exceeded　everyone's　wildest　expectations。　His　face　beaming　with　innocence；　he　brilliantly　attacked　the　British　government　and　its　old…school…tie　smugness。　He　explained　how　it　had　managed　to　bee　less　powerful　than　Uganda　and　how　it　could　not　have　happened　to　a　more　deserving　country。　They　all　roared　with　laughter；　because　they　knew　that　Toby　Temple　was　only　joking。　He　did　not　mean　a　word　of　it。　Toby　loved　them。　As　they　loved　him。　
　The　reception　in　Paris　was　even　more　tumultuous。　Jill　and　Toby　were　guests　at　the　President's　Palace　and　were　driven　around　the　city　in　a　state　limousine。　They　could　be　seen　on　the　front　pages　of　the　newspapers　every　day；　and　when　they　appeared　at　the　theater；　extra　police　had　to　be　called　out　to　control　the　crowds。　At　the　end　of　Toby's　performance；　he　and　Jill　were　being　escorted　toward　their　waiting　limousine　when　suddenly　the　mob　broke　through　the　police　guard　and　hundreds　of　Frenchmen　descended　on　them；　screaming；　〃Toby；　Toby。。。　on　veut　Toby！〃　The　surging　crowd　held　out　pens　and　autograph　books；　pressing　forward　to　touch　the　great　Toby　Temple　and　his　wonderful　Jill。　The　police　were　unable　to　hold　them　back；　the　crowd　swept　them　aside；　tearing　at　Toby's　clothes；　fighting　to　obtain　a　souvenir。　Toby　and　Jill　were　almost　crushed　by　the　press　of　bodies；　but　Jill　felt　no　fear。　This　riot　was　a　tribute　to　her。　She　had　done　this　for　these　people；　she　had　brought　Toby　back　to　them。　
　Their　last　stop　was　Moscow。　Moscow　in　June　is　one　of　the　loveliest　cities　in　the　world。　Graceful　white　berezka　and　Upa　trees　with　yellow　flowerbeds　line　the　wide　boulevards　crowded　with　natives　and　visitors　strolling　in　the　sunshine。　It　is　the　season　for　tourists。　Except　for　official　visitors；　all　tourists　to　Russia　are　handled　through　Intourist；　the　government…controlled　agency　which　arranges　transportation；　hotels　and　guided　sightseeing　tours。　But　Toby　and　Jill　were　met　at　the　Sheremetyevo　International　Airport　by　a　large　Zil　limousine　and　driven　to　the　Metropole　Hotel；　usually　reserved　for　VIPs　from　satellite　countries。　The　suite　had　been　stocked　with　Stolichnaya　vodka　and　black　caviar。　General　Yuri　Romanovitch；　a　high　party　official；　came　to　the　hotel　to　bid　them　wele。　
　〃We　do　not　run　many　American　pictures　in　Russia；　Mr。　Temple；　but　we　have　played　your　movies　here　often。　The　Russian　people　feel　that　genius　transcends　all　boundaries。〃　
　Toby　had　been　booked　to　appear　at　the　Bolshoi　Theatre　for　three　performances。　Opening　night；　Jill　shared　in　the　ovation。　Because　of　the　language　barrier；　Toby　did　most　of　his　act　in　pantomime；　and　the　audience　adored　him。　He　gave　a　diatribe　in　his　pseudo…Russian；　and　their　laughter　and　applause　echoed　through　the　enormous　theater　like　a　benediction　of　love。　During　the　next　two　days；　General　Romanovitch　escorted　Toby　and　Jill　on　a　private　sightseeing　tour。　They　went　to　Gorky　Park　and　rode　on　the　giant　ferris　wheel；　and　saw　the　historic　Saint　Basil's　Cathedral。　
　They　were　taken　to　the　Moscow　State　Circus　and　given　a　banquet　at　Aragvi；　where　they　were　served　the　golden　roe　caviar；　the　rarest　of　the　eight　caviars；　zakushki；　which　literally　means　small　bites；　and　pashteet；　the　delicate　pate　baked　in　a　crust。　F